Improvised explosive devices (IEDs) are used by terrorists around the world to kill people, destroy assets and disrupt economies. To date, IEDs have been used on land, but are seen increasingly as maritime threats. With numerous petroleum tankers calling at U.S. ports, it is evident that national and global economies depend heavily on the uninterrupted flow of liquid petroleum products.
Detonation of an IED on a loaded petroleum tanker, even a small coastal tanker carrying only a few thousand tons of a volatile refined product, while in port, could cause widespread destruction and loss of life. The economic impact of such an event may extend far beyond the harbor under attack, paralyzing national shipping for some time, with economic consequences that could travel round the world.